Hooper, John 'Jack'

“THE LAST TIME I SAW JACK HE WAS IN FRONT OF HIS PLATOON SHOUTING “COME ON BOYS…….””

Private John ‘Jack’ Hooper, 25884, 14th (Service) Battalion (Swansea), Welsh Regiment

Killed in Action on 27th August 1918, age 19

Buried at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, France

John was born in Ebbw Vale in 1899, and initially lived at 23 William Street with his parents, two sisters (Louisa & Florence) and one brother (John). The Hooper family seemed to bounce back and forth between living in Ebbw Vale, Bridgend and Merthyr, which I can assume was related to their fathers work (coal miner). When John ‘Jack’ became of age, he also was employed as a Collier at the South Pit Collieries, before the family settled in Twynyrodyn.

The following is taken from the 14th Welsh Regiment war diary on the 27th August, which is the action John was killed in;

“1.00am – Battalion recalled to take part in attack from HIGH WOOD to North of DELVILLE WOOD

4.00am – Battalion formed up in attack order as Reserve Battalion of Brigade in shell holes under bank of HIGH WOOD in 34a.

6.00am – Battalion moved forward as reserve battalion to follow up advance of 13th Welsh and 15th Welsh. Met with heavy enemy machine gun fire in S11 and the alley beyond, but reached objective – a trench of NORTH EAST OF DELVILLE WOOD in s12d. No troops of the Brigade formed either on our left flank or to our front – with 113 Infantry Brigade on our right.

Battalion took up defensive position in the derelict German trench in S11b – trench engulfed by heavy enemy Machine Gun fire, causing many casualties.

Enemy made several attempts to gain the trench by bombing, but on each occasion was driven off. During the afternoon enemy began to work round both flanks in some strength. As the position was becoming increasingly difficult to hold on account of both flanks of the Battalion being ‘in the air(?)”. The Battalion was withdrawn, by order from the Brigade HQ after dark to the west side”

A letter was sent by his cousin Jesse Price, saying “The last time I saw Jack was by High Wood. We were over the top for the fourth time that day, and I saw Jack in front of his platoon shouting Come on Boys. We did well there, and I came out all right. At midnight we were lying in a sunken road waiting to make the attempt to take Morvell, and I went to look for Jack, but could not find him, and when I asked the boys they told me he was wounded”

Son of John and Emily Hooper, 27 Bryn Street, Twynyrodyn